Perceptions of person-centred care in two large university hospitals: A cross-sectional survey among healthcare professionals

BACKGROUND: Patient-centred care (PCC) including collaborative practices is the core component of modern health care. Despite this, it has proven difficult to implement.

AIMS: To examine (1) healthcare professionals' (HCPs') perception of whether they perceive a PCC culture, their attitudes towards involving patients in decisions and their experiences of barriers for PCC; and (2) variables that may contribute to explain differences in perceived person-centred culture.

METHODS: A questionnaire survey of HCPs from 27 different departments from two university hospitals in Denmark. HCPs were eligible if they held a profession as physician, Registered Nurse, nurse assistant, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietician, midwife or psychologist and excluded if they reported not being involved in patient treatment and care. The questionnaire consisted of four items from the Context Assessment Index (CAI). The remaining items were purpose-designed.

RESULTS: In total 1140 (24% response rate) HCPs completed the questionnaire and were included in the analyses. Most of the HCPs perceived a culture of PCC (e.g. 91% agreed or agreed to a high degree that patients were provided with opportunities to participate in decisions). Most HCPs also held positive attitudes towards involving patients in decisions. Time and prioritisation from the management were perceived as barriers for PCC, and many HCPs also believed that involving patients in decisions could be difficult for the patients. The HCPs who were least involved in treatment and care, and working in the acute setting or in surgery, were least likely to perceive a PCC culture. HCPs with the longest or shortest educations, and HCPs working primarily with outpatients or with planned inpatients, were most likely to perceive a person-centred culture.

CONCLUSION: The HCPs generally perceived a culture of PCC and held positive attitudes towards involving patients in decisions. To further promote PCC, time and prioritisation must be invested at an organisational level.